Three-time Grand Stan Wawrinka followed up his win over Karen Khachanov with a 6-4 7-6 (7-3) win over Nicolas Jarry after 89 minutes to reach the quarter final at the Qatar Open in Doha.
Wawrinka earned the first break of the match in the fifth game to win the opening set 6-4. The Lausanne player saved two break points in the seventh game of the second set and won the tie-break 7-3.
Wawrinka set up a quarter final against Roberto Bautista Agut, who swept past Guillermo Garcia Lopez 6-1 6-4 in 70 minutes. Wawrinka won his only previous head-to-head match against the Spaniard in St. Petersburg in 2016. Wawrinka is on collision course for a potential semifinal against 2016 and 2017 Doha champion Novak Djokovic.
“I am now at a good level. I am feeling in good shape and I am playing very well”,said Wawrinka.
Wawrinka enjoyed a good period of training in the off-season and feels confident about the 2019 season.
“I am going out from a very big physical preparation that I did in Switzerland and Monte-Carlo where I trained with Tomas Berdych and David Goffin. I found intensity , freshness and a very interesting game level. If I can keep everything together, results will follow. I had never felt so well physically for a long time. My withdrawal in Basel was bad but good at the same time. I had two extra weeks on my schedule. I have expectations. Without forgetting that years go on for me too, but I want to win titles again. No matter what, a 250, a 500 or bigger tournaments. The 2019 season has a lot of question marks, although I am convinced that Novak Djokovic will be a step ahead of us, if he healthy”,said Wawrinka.
Last year’s Roland Garros semifinalist Marco Cecchinato received a walkover after Guido Pella withdrew before the match. Cecchinato will face a quarter final match against Dusan Lajovic, who beat former world junior number 1 Ricardas Berankis 7-6 (7-4) 0-6 7-5.
Nikoloz Basilashvili converted all four break points to beat 2018 Doha finalist Andrey Rublev 6-3 6-4 setting up a quarter final against world number 1 player Novak Djokovic.
Tomas Berdych fought back from one set down to edge Fernando Verdasco 4-6 6- 7-5. Pierre Hugues Herbert, who beat Domic Thiem yesterday, overcame Maximilian Marterer 6-3 6-7 (6-8) 7-6 (8-6).
